My Work

My work consists of large one-of-a-kind Vessels and Wall Sculptures and most recently Abstract Sculptures turned on the lathe and accented with carving by use of various tools giving these pieces a tactile feel. I sometimes incorporate the addition of pewter, exotic woods, avonite, semi-precious stones, bleaching or burning of the wood to add drama and interest.

In the year 2000 I began developing my Gemini, Gemini Orbital and Orbital Axis Series of interactive art. The whole concept of the series is to be able to rotate the piece on its base whenever one wishes as as to give it a different look. I feel this involves the viewer in the actual artistic process.

I love the freedom that working in wood affords me and feel that in this way I can truly communicate my feelings through these works of wood. While doing so, I continue to enjoy the excitment of each exploration.

Dennis turning a Wall Sculpture

Wall Sculpture and Sculpted Vessel

Creating a Sculpted Vessel

Carving a Wall Sculpture

Cohn Family Trust Prize for Excellence in Wood

Dennis Elliott with Bigleaf Maple Burl pieces

New Wall Sculptures
For over 20 years I have been making various Wall Sculptures, all in Bigleaf Maple Burl. I prefer working with this wood for the following reasons: It is well known for its beautiful figured grain and patterns and I find this wood to be extremely stable.

To obtain this gem of a wood I have to order this from Oregon in the Northwest US. I happen to live in Florida, far away on the Southeast corner of this country. Some times I have to wait months for this sought after wood to become available due to forest conservation, the yearly fire season and I still must hope my timing is right so as to buy it before the veneer people grab it.

Background:

These Wall Sculptures really evolved from functional platters I made over twenty years ago. The platters I made then were turned and carved into table centerpieces. They were quite large for platters so I decided to route a key hole in the back which enabled the owner to either use it on the table or hang the platter on the wall. These I called "Vertizontals".

I started to receive slabs of Maple Burl from my supplier that were just too large for the platters/"Vertizontals" I had been making. These pieces I decided to make as wall hangings and begun to utilize the wood for decoration.

This meant that I could have much more going on in the work; more content, freedom and expression. These Wall Sculptures were turned, and carved and incorporated other materials such as metal, alabaster and semi-precious stones to add contrasting, texture and movement to the piece as well as bleaching and some burning.

Current Focus:

In my current series of Wall Sculptures I turn the piece and add detail to the piece with carving tools and chainsaws. Before finishing the piece I burn sections of the piece with tiny markings. Some areas are burned with abstract images, others represent stars, planets, and nature.

The pieces are hung using 3/16" stranded stainless steel cable, double crimped at the ends to form eyes. It is then screwed to the back using washers and hardened screws. This is very strong.

People rarely touch a painting, but my "Wall Sculptures" are three-dimensional and I encourage people to touch them!